Monday, October 17, 2011

Drugged

I have a cold. I caught it from my husband, so for the last two days, I have been uttering, “I hate you” at 2 hour intervals. Fortunately he knows better than to believe it, and agreed to stop at the drugstore on his way home from getting his flu shot to buy me some more Allegra-D. I told him either the 12 hour or 24 hour, whichever was cheaper.

He came back with a tale to tell. Of course, my husband can take out the trash and come back with a tale to tell. Anyway, he had to take a card from the shelf and bring it to the counter to get the medicine, because it contains pseudoephedrine, which can be used to make drugs that do more than cure your sneezes and stuffy head. The woman at the counter demanded to see his ID. (“Demanded” is his word. I suspect she asked politely.) “Why do you need my ID?” he asked.

“It’s the law.” Hubby didn’t like it, but he complied.

Then she gave him a form to sign. “What’s this?” he asked.

“It says you aren’t going to use this drug in an improper way.”

So, hubby says, he took it over to a seat to read it. (I'm sure he reads all 42 pages of the user agreement every time he upgrades software. Me, I could have promised someone a lifetime interest in my house for all I know.) It didn’t say anything of the sort, according to him. He brought it back to the counter and said, “It doesn’t say that.” (Am I the only one who is feeling sorry for this poor clerk at this point?)

“Yes it does.”

“Where does it say that?”

“Sir, you have to sign it.”

So he signed it, and she gave him the price. They didn’t have the packet of ten, just the packet of 20 for $21.

“Well, how much is the packet of ten 24 hour tablets?” he asked.

“I can look that up for you. I just need to see your ID again.” Yes, she made him show his ID and sign another form, just to check the price. I don’t know if that’s really the law or if she was just fed up.

The ten 24 hour tablets were $16 so he got me those.

At this point in the story I asked, “So can I have one?” He got me one with some ice water. It seems to be helping.